Container of wipes with dispensing nozzle

ABSTRACT

Referring to FIG.  6.  The invention relates to a container of wipes ( 3 ) with a dispensing nozzle ( 20 ). The housing ( 4 ) is provided containing wet wipes ( 10 ). The dispensing nozzle ( 20 ) extends from the housing. The nozzle ( 20 ) is formed with a resilient aperture ( 21 ) through which wipes can be withdrawn from the housing. The resilient aperture ( 21 ) is expandable to allow withdrawal of (wipes  10 ) therethrough, but is biased toward a contracted state. In use a wipe can be withdrawn through the nozzle and separated by rupturing the perforations joining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe with the nozzle expanding as required to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle aperture. The nozzle contracts around the tail of the next adjacent wipe to prevent release of moisture from the inside of the housing and to help prevent wicking of moisture from a wipe tail.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationser. no. 12/664,179 filed 30 Mar. 2010 with a claim to the priority ofBritish application 0617067.7 filed 29 Aug. 2006, British application0710596.8 filed 4 Jun. 2007, and PCT application PCT/GB2007/003267 filed29 August 2007 and published 5 Mar. 2008 as WO2008/025980.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container of wipes with a dispensingnozzle. More particularly this invention concerns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wipes are generally sold in two types of dispensing container:

1) Hard plastic tubs with removable lids which feature a narrow outletaperture from which the wipes are dispensed. The tub is then sealed witha cap which covers the aperture in order to prevent moisture loss fromthe tub.

2) Soft packs with hermetically sealed side edges and with a mouth inthe middle of the top side of the pack from which to access the wipes.In order to prevent moisture loss from the pack, this mouth is generallysealed in one of two ways; either by way of a removable self adhesivestrip or by way of an integral hard plastic lid assembly called a ‘RigidFlip Top’ (RFT). The latter consists of a hard plastic frame fixed tothe upper side of the soft pack with a lid connected to it by hinge. Theframe defines the opening or mouth of the soft pack through which thewipes will be dispensed and is permanently fixed to the soft pack byadhesive.

Soft pack dispensing containers are becoming increasingly popularbecause these packs are less expensive to make than hard plastic tubs orcanisters, require less raw materials to make them and are perceived tobe far more environmentally friendly.

The wipes within a soft pack dispensing container are generally in afolded, stacked format. They are either in the form of elongate sheetsof moistened material with spaced lines of weakness, the separable bond,in the form of lines of perforations dividing one sheet of material intohand sized individual sheets or interleave folded sheets withoutperforations dividing them into individual sheets. In the case of thelatter, a portion of the bottom side of the back end of the first wipelies flat against the top side of the front end of the second wipe. Inthis case it is the viscosity of the liquid impregnate or a mildadhesive between the above mentioned wipe ends and not a perforationline that forms the line of weakness, the separable bond between thefolded sheets.

In order to access the first wipe from within a soft pack dispensingcontainer the wipe needs to be grasped or pinched with two fingers andpulled through the mouth of the soft pack dispensing container. As awipe is pulled through the opening, the adjacent wipe is also withdrawn.The first wipe then starts to separate from its adjacent wipe once theline of weakness, the separable bond between the two wipes reaches thenarrow mouth of the soft pack dispensing container. A portion of thesubsequent wipe, the tail, is supposed to present itself for the nextuser to.

There are three main problems associated with soft pack containers.

First, when a wipe is withdrawn from them, the wipes separate before theadjacent wipe is fully withdrawn through the mouth of the pack, theresult being that the adjacent wipe then lies flat on top of the stackrather than leaving a tail protruding from the pack for the next user tograsp. The user is then forced to scratch around the top of the stack inorder to find the end of the top wipe, then insert two fingers into themouth of the pack in order to grasp the wipe and pull it out through theaperture. Constant repetition of this process can be frustrating to theuser.

A second problem occurs if the separable bonds between the wipes fail torupture as the wipes are removed. This results in a ‘stream’ of wipesbeing inadvertently extracted from the soft pack container when only onewas required.

Third, if the sealing strip or hard plastic lid of the soft pack is notclosed properly, moisture will emerge from the container and the wipeswhich are intended to be moist, will dry out.

Hard plastic tubs from which to dispense wet wipes are also verypopular. Wipes dispensed from the latter are usually in the form ofelongate continuous sheets of moistened or impregnated material withspaced lines of perforations dividing one sheet of material intohand-sized wipes or towlets. In use of such containers, when a wipe iswithdrawn through the aperture, a line of perforations ruptures and awipe is released from the sheet of material, with the intention again ofleaving a tail of the next wipe projecting through the end cap aperturefor the next user to grasp.

An example of a hard plastic tub container is described in GermanOffenlegungschrift DE-A1-40 06 987 (Penaten). The dispenser has anorifice through which sheets of material are pulled. Mention is made ofthe applications of such sheets or tissues and the various mixtures andtypes of liquid with which they may be impregnated.

Three problems are associated with plastic hard tub containers which aresimilar to those associated with soft pack containers.

First, when a wipe is withdrawn from it, the line of perforationsruptures before the wipe is fully withdrawn through the end capaperture. This results in the tail of the next wipe being left insidethe container. The result is that a user needs to remove the end cap andfeed the tail of the next wipe to be dispensed through the end capaperture.

Second if the lines of perforations separating the wipes fail to ruptureas the wipe is removed, a ‘stream’ of wipes being inadvertentlyextracted when only one was required.

A third problem is that if the cap of the hard plastic container isinadvertently left open, moisture will escape through the aperture andthe wipes, which are intended to be moist, will dry out.

International Patent Application Number WO-A1-2006/124429 (BKI HoldingCorp) to some extent solved the third problem and provides a containerfor wipes having a center pull feed arrangement for dispensing sheets,typically off a roll. The dispenser includes a tray that supports a webroll which removes excess moisture form a sheet that is being dispensedand returns moisture, by way of a wicking action, to the remainingsheets within the container.

Another dispenser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,137 (James RiverPaper Company) discloses a device for dispensing individual sheets froma roll wherein the dispenser is in the form of a nozzle. However, it isnot apparent how successful this device is at retaining moisture withinthe container, thereby ensuring that wipes, when dispensed aresufficiently wet.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,252 (Georgia Pacific France) discloses a dispenserfor wipes which are intended to unwind from the center of a roll outwardtoward the of the roll. The container includes a nozzle that has agenerally frustoconical shape that is shaped and oriented to ease theintroduction of as free end of a roll of wipes into and through theorifice. The dispenser shown is relatively complex and comprises asignificant number of discrete and relatively complex molded items.

Another container is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,374 (SeaquistClosures Foreign Inc), which discloses a container for dispensing wipeswith a structure extending from the body of the container which definesa dispensing surface for directing a stream of wipes from the roll(housed within the container) to a nozzle region from where a singlewipe may be torn.

The container has a lid which defines a passage through the lid. Aflexible valve is provided through which wipes pass. The flexible valvehas self sealing slits which flex in order to permit the passage oftowels. However, there still remains the problem, when withdrawing wipesfrom the container, that either perforations rupture before the wipe isfully withdrawn or lines of perforations separating the wipes fail torupture, resulting in a stream of wipes being dispensed.

Another dispensing system for wipes is disclosed by Morand, (U.S. Pat.No. 6,129,240). The center pull dispenser features a nozzle segment withan inner wall having a truncated cone-like configuration which restrictspassage of the wipe material as it exits the dispenser. The nozzlefeatures a restrictor element which projects inwardly, orthogonal to thedirection of removed wipes. The forces that encourage wipe separationare exerted entirely by this restrictor element. This can result in aleading wipe and a following wipe being separated before the followingwipe has exited the nozzle especially if the nozzle features anelongated web contact surface.

(U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,160), Ogawa shows a nozzle made from a highlyelastic material having a small diameter hole through which a length ofwet wipe is withdrawn. The narrowness of the hole makes it difficult forthe user to feed the first wipe through for subsequent dispensing.

Howard, (EP 0110473) describes a container through which wet wipes aredispensed. The seal is in the form of a tapering tube made from flexiblematerial, having a relatively wide mouth for receiving wipes and arelatively narrow orifice for dispensing them. It further includes zonesof flexibility which allow the wipes to pass through the seal, and zonesof rigidity to promote the onset of rupturing. However, it is stilldifficult to thread wipes through the nozzle, and wipe separation isstill uncertain in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a container of wipescomprising:

a container for wipes, the container comprising:

a free standing, self contained, portable, fully sealed housing that inuse receives the wipes, the wipes being formed in a continuous lengtheach wipe being joined to the following wipe by a separable bond, and

a dispensing nozzle extending from and fixedly mounted on a first end ofthe housing, which is opposite a second end of the housing, the secondend enabling the housing to stand on a horizontal surface while productis extracted from the first end, the nozzle having a relatively widedome shaped base, which tapers radially inwardly, and then curves upwardinto an annular projection, which terminates at a tip to provide anaperture for the wipes' exit, the annular projection having aresiliently deformable wall,

the annular projection being in a contracted state when no wipe ispresent in the nozzle while being resiliently expandable to an expandedstate to allow withdrawal of wipes therethrough while gripping the wipessuch that the inner surface of the annular wall exerts a retarding forceon the part of the length of wipes in the annular projection along thelength of the annular projection which acts against their withdrawalsuch that, in use, as a length of wipes is withdrawn through, thisretarding force acts to break the separable bonds between each wipe andthe following wipe, the nozzle contracting around the tail of the nextadjacent wipe which impedes release of moisture from inside the housingand wicking of moisture from the wipe tail, and impedes fall back of thewipe back into the housing.

Upward in relation to the nozzle means in the general exit direction ofthe wipes out of the nozzle.

The principal application of the nozzle is to containers of wipes whichare formed of impregnated material with separable bonds dividing thematerial into wipes.

The dispensing nozzle extends from the housing, said nozzle being formedentirely or in part from a resiliently deformable material and featuringan annular projection with a resilient aperture through which wipes canbe withdrawn from the housing. The nozzle wall has a widened dome shapedbase, the shape of which tapers inward toward the annular projectionwhich then curves outward to form the annular projection. The annularprojection is adapted to flex in the direction a wipe is beingwithdrawn, its resilient aperture being biased toward a first contractedposition and being expandable to a second expanded position to allowwithdrawal of wipes therethrough as a wipe is extracted through theaperture. In use a wipe can be withdrawn through the nozzle, thepressures exerted by the expandable, resilient, deformable inside wallsof the annular projection separate the wipes by disturbing the bondsjoining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe, said nozzle expands asrequired to allow passage of the wipe through the nozzle aperture, saidnozzle contracting around the exposed tail of the next adjacent wipethereby substantially sealing the container and preventing release ofmoisture from within it.

The shape of the tapering and the curve can be made smooth in design soas to ensure smooth passage of the wipe material into the annularprojection. This ensures that the only pressures that bring aboutseparation of the wipes are those exerted by the resiliently flexibleinside walls of the annular projection and not at those sections of thenozzle where the dome tapers and then curves outward to form the annularprojection. Should the point at which the nozzle curves outward into theannular projection be angular rather than a smoother shaped curving,pressures to separate the wipes could be exerted at that point prior tothe wipes entering the annular projection—which would therefore resultin premature wipe separation. Instead, the pressures that bring aboutwipe separation are exerted entirely from the area comprising the lengthof deformable inner walls of the annular projection.

It has also been found that the angle of taper (that is, the anglebetween the tapered inner surface and the main longitudinal axis of thenozzle) should not exceed around 60 or 70 degrees at any point. The nonangular shape to the tapering and curves inherent in the design of theinvention is intended to ensure that the intended pressures are onlyexerted once the web has entered into the annular projection, and notbefore.

The pressures that bring about wipe separation are exerted from the areacomprising the length of deformable inner walls of the annularprojection. For this reason also, should extra pressures be required tobe applied to the wipe, the extra gripping means will only ever beapplied to the inside walls of the annular projection. The annularprojection alone provides the requisite pressure to separate the webinto single sheets.

Because pressures applied by the invention that bring about wipeseparation are applied across a much greater surface area, the amount ofpressure applied at any specific point can be relatively low. Thisallows the diameter of the aperture of the annular projection to bewider, and the larger the annular projection aperture, the easier it isfor the user to feed the first wipe through said aperture for subsequentdispense.

It follows therefore that increasing the length of the annularprojection increases the net level of pressures applied to separate thewipes. So to make a pack of wipes more user friendly, increasing thelength of the annular projection could enable for a wider aperture, thelevels of pressure applied for separating the wipes remaining the same.

There are various factors that can be varied in the nozzle design; theprecise length of the annular projection, the width, the thickness ofthe material, the nature of the nozzle material (both the elasticity ofthe material, and the roughness of the inner surface of the nozzle) andthe wipe material, all effect what dimensions and suitable shapes givean optimum nozzle design. However, It has been found in practice thatthe annular projection should be over 3 mm in length to be effective, isideally over 3 mm, but may be as long as 20 mm.

The nozzle overcomes the aforementioned by providing additional means bywhich to separate the wipes by spreading the pressures that separate thewipes over a larger surface area. This thereby allows for a wideraperture thus making it easier to thread a wipe through the nozzle andimproving its efficiency and adaptability to a greater variety of wetwipe types in the process. The nozzle is composed of a flexible,elastomeric material which prevents the release of moisture from insidethe housing, thereby keeping the wipes wet. The dispensing mechanism istherefore cheap to fabricate and easy and reliable to operate.

Preferably the nozzle is dimensioned such that any force pulling thewipe back through the aperture, into the housing, biases the nozzleaperture into a contracted state, thereby preventing wipe fall back andthus avoiding the need to re-thread a tail of a wipe through theaperture.

Ideally ribs, pips, teeth, raised regions, surface roughening or somesimilar form of gripping means is disposed on an inner surface of thenozzle annular projection. The gripping means are preferably formed fromthe same material as the nozzle and are resiliently deformable so as toaccommodate movement of a wipe being removed from the container.

Ideally the gripping means are formed integrally with the nozzle andideally in a single shot injection molding process.

The gripping means may be formed in a pattern which is circularlysymmetric or radially symmetric around the inner surface of the nozzleannular projection so that these raised ribs or portions are able toengage with a wipe.

The gripping means may be disposed in the form of a continuous spiral orat intervals so as to optimize grip.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nozzle moves from a firstcontracted position to a second expanded position as a wipe is extractedthrough the aperture.

So as to assist with insertion of a wipe, in a further embodiment thenozzle wall, tapers in an inward direction from a widened base, and thencurves outward into an annular projection defining an aperture at itstip.

Preferably the nozzle is generally teat-shaped and tapers from a widenedbase to an annular projection which features an aperture at its tip.

As mentioned above, the inside wall of the annular projectionadvantageously supports one or more gripping means to grip a wipe andapply the pressures that will bring about the outset of separation ofthe bonds between the emergent wipe and its adjacent wipe and to helpprevent a wipe passing back through the nozzle into the container.

By their very nature, the components of the gripping means like teeth orpips, apply concentrated pressures at their apex to the wipe as itpasses through the annular projection, pressures which impact the wipemore so than an annular projection featuring just a smooth insidesurface. The presence of the gripping means on the inside wall of theannular projection therefore enables for a larger aperture annularprojection to exert levels of pressure to bring about separation of thewipes as compared to an annular projection with a smooth inside surfacemeans. The larger the annular projection aperture, the easier it is forthe user to feed the first wipe through said aperture for subsequentdispense.

The presence of both a gripping means and the previously mentionedwidened dome shaped base of the nozzle therefore makes it easier tothread wipes into the nozzle and through their aperture.

By varying the length of the annular projection or the nature of theelastomer that comprises the nozzle, or by adding a gripping means tothe inside surface of the annular projection, the nature and intensityof the pressures that are applied to bring about separation of the wipescan be varied and adapted to various wipe types.

For example, dispensing wipes that have a low tensile strength will bebetter served by a nozzle with a wider aperture and a longer annularprojection to ensure that the separation pressures are applied to theweb more gracefully. A more aggressive application of separationpressures could result in such a low tensile strength web tearing priorto separating into single wipes.

A stronger tensile strength web could however require that in order forthe wipes to separate into single sheets, the aperture be smaller andthere be a gripping means applied to the inside area of the annularprojection. In so doing, the annular projection itself could be shorterif needs be.

In each case, the flexible elastomeric nature of the nozzle would enablethe container to remain essentially sealed and therefore the wipes tostay wet.

Given the number of variables that can be adjusted, the inventiontherefore enables a greater variety of wipe types to be dispensed fromtheir containers. Additionally, as mentioned, a widened base and thepossibility for the aperture to be wider means that the invention couldprovide for easier wipe insertion. None of the prior art provides forsuch levels of flexibility whilst enabling the wipes to stay wet.

Preferably the nozzle projects beyond the outer surface of thecontainer.

The container of the invention may be used in conjunction with adispensing utility as described in the Applicant's International PatentApplication Number PCT/GB2010/051415 the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

The nozzle can be easily adapted and applied to different types of wipedispenser. In particular, the container can be a free standing,portable, self contained, fully sealed dispensing container for wipesfeaturing a dispensing aperture at a first end of the container todispense product and a second end which can sit on a horizontal surfacewhilst product is extracted from the first end. The container can be ofeither hermetically sealed flexible material or hard plastic tubconstruction. The wipes can be of three different types. Center feed,rolled perforated, folded perforated, interleaved non perforated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to thedrawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example of a nozzle in a contracted and expandedposition.

FIGS. 1C show a detail of the embodiment in FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show cross section embodiments of a stack of foldedinterleaved wipes within a housing and a stack of folded perforatedwipes within their respective housings.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show an RFT and a cross section of an aforementioneddispenser respectively.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a container ofwipes.

FIG. 5A shows a sectional perspective view of another embodiment of aflexible dispensing nozzle.

FIG. 5B shows a sectional perspective view of another embodiment of aflexible dispensing nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hermeticallysealed container of wipes.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown in longitudinal section a nozzle 20with an aperture 21 defined by an annular projection 22.

The inner surface of the nozzle 20 wall has a relatively large diameterat the base 20A which extends with a constant diameter until a radiallyinwardly tapered shoulder section 20B. Ideally, inner surface of thebase 20A meets the inner surface shoulder section 20B with a smooth,gradual curve at region 16. The shoulder section 20B then smoothlycurves outward at 20C into the annular projection 22. The inner surface14 of the annular projection 22 extends with a uniform constant internaldiameter to the tip of the nozzle 15.

The tapering and curving, particularly of the transition from the basesection 20A to the shoulder section 20B, and the shoulder section to theannular projection 22, can be of a smooth design to enable easierpassage of the web into the annular projection.

If we define a taper angle as the angle between a tangent t at a pointon the inner surface of the shoulder section 20B and the longitudinalaxis of the nozzle y this angle will generally be less than 60° in orderthat the taper is gentle enough so as not to impede the movement of thewipes prior to their entering the annular projection. The shape of theouter profile of the nozzle will generally follow the shape of the innersurface, but this need not be the case, as the wipe material will notcome into contact with it.

When first used, the user will typically have to thread a wipe throughthe nozzle 20. The wide dome and tapering shape of the nozzle makesfeeding the wipe into nozzle easier for the user. The wipes in thecontainer are joined end to end, and as the first wipe is pulled throughthe nozzle, the second wipe is drawn toward the nozzle behind the first.The tapering inward of the shoulder section 20B and curving outward at20C of the inner surface of the nozzle wall creates a funnel to direct awipe through the aperture smoothly, both for the threading operation andduring use.

The material of the nozzle, or at least the annular projection, issufficiently flexible and resilient to move from a first contractedposition (FIG. 1A) to a second expanded position (FIG. 1B) as a wipe isextracted through the aperture 21, while exerting an radially inwardpressure on the wipe as it is extracted.

During use, the curvature of the shoulder section 20B and region 20Cdoes not impede the movement of wipes from the container up through thenozzle, helping prevent wipes from bunching and clogging the nozzle, orpremature severance of perforations before a wipe has fully exited theaperture 21 and exposed the tail of the next adjacent wipe.

The annular projection 22, exerts a pressure on the wipes as they passalong the inner surface 14, which acts to oppose the wipes beingwithdrawn. As the inner diameter of the annular projection is constant,an equal force is applied at each point along the length of the wipematerial in the annular projection. As the junction between a first wipeand a second wipe enters and moves along the annular projection, theretarding force opposing the withdrawal acts increasingly on the secondwipe as more of its material enters the annular projection, but lessenson the first wipe as it leaves the annular projection. Further, thejunction between the first and second wipe—such as a line ofperforations—will generally extend along the annular projection as thewipes pass through. The greatest separating force between a first andsecond wipe therefore occurs after the second wipe has started to emergefrom the aperture of the nozzle.

Thus the uniform diameter, and therefore application of force, along thelength of the annular projection, ensures that the separation forcebetween adjacent wipes can be properly controlled, without relying onexact tolerances of the nozzle dimensions and shape and separation forcerequired to part adjacent wipes (which can vary from batch to batch).

The inside wall of the annular projection 22 may support ribs, pips,raised regions, surface roughening or some similar form of grippingmeans like the teeth 23 to grip a wipe and help prevent a wipe fallingback through the nozzle 20 into a container. This gripping means mayalso provide the pressures required to disturb the separable bondsbetween the wipes enough to release a wipe from the wipe adjacent to itas it moves through nozzle 20. Instead of annular ratchet teeth, one ormore inwardly extending annular or semi-annular ribs (e.g. semi-circularin cross-section) may be used.

As well as a tub of wipes, the nozzle can advantageously be applied to astacked wipes. FIGS. 2A and 2B show embodiments of a stack of foldedinterleaved wipes 3 and a stack of folded perforated wipes 5 withintheir respective housings 4. As to 2A, a portion 12 of the top part ofthe end of the top wipe 10 is in contact with a portion of the bottompart, not shown, of the front of the adjacent wipe. The viscosity of thewipe impregnate forms a separable bond between the end of the first wipeand the front of the adjacent wipe to which it is interleaved. As thetop wipe is extracted from the housing 4, this viscous bond is enough topull the front of the adjacent wipe from the stack toward the aperture.In use, the pressures applied by the nozzle disturb the bonds enough tocause the top wipe to separate from its adjacent wipe leaving a tail forthe next user to grasp.

As to 2B, the top wipe 10 is connected to its adjacent wipe 14 by way ofa line of perforations 11. As the top wipe is extracted from the housing4, the bond formed by the perforation line is enough to pull the frontof the adjacent wipe from the stack toward the aperture. In use, thepressures applied by the nozzle disturb the perforations enough to causethem to rupture and for the top wipe to separate from its adjacent wipeleaving a tail from the adjacent wipe for the next user to grasp.

In FIG. 3B, a stack of wipes 24 in a hermetically sealed pack (notshown) deployed within the dispenser 25 features an RFT 26 with twoslide rails, 28 & 29, which enables the dispensing container to attachto correspondingly shaped supports 30 & 31, within the dispenser 25. Asshown in FIG. 3A, prior to attachment of the pack, the user would firstthread a wipe 10 through the nozzle so that the tail of the wipe isexposed for the user to grasp.

Once the pack of wipes has been slid into position and attached to thedispenser housing 25, the RFT 26 is thereby held at the top side of thedispenser 25. The nozzle 20 contracts around the tail of the wipe 10 andnot only effectively seals the pack to keep the wipes within the pack(not show) moist, but in so doing the nozzle 20 keeps the top wipe 10physically detached though not separated from the rest of the stack 24.As the tail of the top wipe 10 is pulled from the dispenser, it pullsalong the adjacent wipe 27 physically detaching it from the stack. Thepressures exerted by the nozzle at the line of the rupturable bondjoining the top wipe and adjacent wipe 27 then causes the two wipes toseparate and the nozzle again holds the tail of what was the adjacentwipe in position for the next user to grasp. The latter wipe is nowphysically detached from the stack.

This mechanism is particularly useful with reference to stacks of lowtensile strength flushable wipes. The top wipe of the latter often tendsto stick to the top of the stack much more readily than is the case withother wipe types, making them much more difficult to dispense from theirpacks. The invention keeps the top wipe physically detached from itsstack, thereby resolving any such dispense problems.

The viability of the dispenser relies completely on the fact that thenozzle 20 always holds the tail of the wipe 10 firmly in position forthe next user to grasp. Without such reliable wipe access, the userwould have to constantly dip their fingers into the mouth 32 of thedispenser 25, scratch around the top of the stack and withdraw thefallen wipe through the mouth again. This process would getprogressively more difficult as wipes are used and the stack 24 getssmaller thus requiring the user to reach deeper into the dispenser forthe fallen wipe.

Deployment within a dispenser 25 also enables wipes to be dispensedusing a single hand which is particularly advantageous for those usingflushable wipes, to obviate the need to touch the wipes container withsoiled hands, and for users of baby wipes to enable them to extractwipes with one hand whilst maintaining contact with baby with the other.

Viability of the dispenser also relies on wipes being extractable fromthe dispenser in an upward vertical plain. Most users of these portableor fixable dispensers will want extract wipes in this way.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a container 1 of wipes with adispensing nozzle. Container 1 has a housing formed from cylindricalbase 2A with one closed end and an end cap 2B which screws onto theother end of base 2A. Container 1 houses a roll (not shown) of wipes 10,with the wipes being formed on a continuous sheet of impregnatedmaterial with spaced lines of perforations (not shown) dividing thesheet of material into wipes.

A teat like rubber dispensing nozzle 20, typically formed frompolyurethane, synthetic plastics or similar elastomeric material,extends from an aperture in the end cap 2B and, as shown, projectsbeyond the outer surface of the container 1.

Nozzle 20 tapers from a widened base 20A to a tip with a resilientaperture 21 through which wipes can be withdrawn from the housing asshown. The resilient aperture 21 is expandable to allow withdrawal ofwipes 10 therethrough but being biased toward a contracted state. Nozzle20 is flexible whereby the nozzle will flex toward a direction a wipe isbeing withdrawn.

In use a wipe 10 can be withdrawn through the nozzle 20 and separated byrupturing the perforations joining the wipe to a next adjacent wipe withthe nozzle expanding as required to allow passage of the wipe throughthe nozzle aperture. The nozzle then contracts around the tail of thenext adjacent wipe to prevent release of moisture from the inside of thecontainer 1 housing and to help prevent wicking of moisture from a wipetail.

Nozzle 20 may take a variety of different shapes and constructions. Afew examples are described below.

FIG. 5A shows another embodiment of a nozzle 50. The nozzle 50 has ancircular edge 35, from which a widened base 52 tapers upward andinwards, until it curves or turns upward at shoulder 36. The nozzle thenforms an annular projection 38, projecting substantially upward to a rim42 which defines the aperture 41 of the nozzle. The annular projectionis straight sided when the nozzle is considered in longitudinal section,that is, the annular projection has a uniform, constant width from theshoulder 36 (or a little above the shoulder) up to the rim (or justshort of the rim if the rim is smoothly curved).

The circular edge may be attached directly to the top of a tub of wipes,or bonded to the upper surface of a soft pack of wipes. Here, the base52 of the nozzle joins the circular rim 35 with a relatively thickradial portion of material 51, however, this may be determined by easeof manufacture and strength considerations. The nozzle may of course beintegrally formed, so that there is no distinct edge or boundary withthe wipe container at all. The shape of the outer profile of the nozzlewill generally follow the shape of the inner surface, but this need notbe the case, as the wipe material will not contact it.

The inner surface 37 of the annular projection 38 shows two rows ofpyramid shaped teeth 40, each row arranged to form a circle. The base ofeach pyramid shape tooth 40 is formed on the annular projection and theapex pointing radially inwards. In this embodiment, the teeth 40 arecircumferentially separated by flat regions 46 on the inner surface 37of the annular projection, and the rows are separated by a band. FIG. 5Bshows a similar embodiment, wherein the annular projection extends to agreater length, and supports three rows of pyramid shaped teeth 40. Theprojection of each tooth 40 may be formed with a corresponding cavity 45on the outer surface of the annular projection 38, or the pyramid of thetooth may be completely solid, with the outer surface of the annularprojection not having a cavity.

The material of the nozzle is resilient, so that it is flexible but willreturn to its formed shape, and exert a force resisting deformation. Thediameter of the annular projection 38 is chosen such that the stream ofwipes, as it passes through the annular projection, presses against theinner surface of the annular projection, causing the annular projectionto radial expand, and so exert an inwardly radial force on the stream ofwipes, tending to resist the movement of the wipes through the nozzle.This resistance is enhanced by the teeth 40, though it is to be notedthat other enhancements can comprise ridges, pips, dots, and othershapes that extend inwardly from the inner surface of the annularprojection, and a roughening of the inner surface. It will be seen thatthe flexibility of the material, the diameter of the annular projection,and the nature of the inner surface of the annular projection are allfactors on the retarding force that the nozzle exerts on the wipes.

The stream of wipes, as for previous embodiments, comprises a pluralityof wipes that are joined substantially end to end (though they may besomewhat interleaves or overlapping), and with some type of breakablebond between adjacent wipes (such as perforations, regions of weakness,or by separable adhesion).

Before use of the container of wipes is begun, the upper end of thefirst wipe is introduced through the nozzle. This may be done by theuser, or when the container is being assembled.

In order to use the container of wipes, the first wipe is pulled throughthe nozzle. The bond between the first wipe and the following wipe drawsthe following wipe toward the nozzle. Each subsequent wipe is then drawupward and through the nozzle in the same manner.

As a stream or rope of wipes are pulled through the nozzle 50, thestream is gently directed from whatever position the wipes are in thecontainer below the nozzle, over the tapering widened base 52 m over theshoulder 36 and then through the annular projection 38. The taperingwidened base does not exert any significant retarding force on thestream of wipes, it is only the annular projection which is exerting theretarding force on the wipes.

Since the diameter of the annular projection is substantially constant,the force exerted by the inner surface of the annular projection is theconstant along the length of the annular projection.

As the tail of the first wipe exits through the annular projection ofthe nozzle, the head of the following wipe is drawn through the annularprojection behind the first wipe. As the bond or join between the firstwipe and the subsequent wipe travels up through the nozzle, theretarding force exerted on the first wipe decreases, while the retardingforce exerted on the following wipe increases, as less of the first wipeis in contact with the inner surface of the annular projection, and moreof the following wipe is in contact. Generally also, the line of thebond or join between the first wipe and second wipe is not drawn throughthe nozzle at the same position in the annular projection, but one partwill lead the rest of the join. This means that as the last part of thejoin exits the top of the annular projection of the nozzle, the forcebetween the two wipes is at its highest. The join or bond betweenadjacent wipes is designed to break near this force. When this breakoccurs, the first wipe separates from the following wipe to be used,while the following wipe is left with a region extending from the top ofthe nozzle. The inward force exerted on the protruding wipe by theannular projection along its length also significantly slows moistureloss through wicking if a moist wipes are being used.

This even distribution of force is in contrast to a nozzle with a moresudden constriction, which tends to concentrate the retarding force at asingle place, leading to premature breakage when the force between wipesis too great, so the following wipe does not protrude, or leading to afailure to separate when the force between wipes is too little, so anunwanted stream of wipes is pulled out when only a single wipe isdesired.

The annular projection 38 may alternatively—or Additionally—supportsurface roughening, ribs, pips, raised regions or some similar form ofgripping means instead of teeth. The inner surface of the annularprojection may not feature any additional gripping means at all shouldthe properties of the elastomer provide the inner surface with enoughgripping means to encourage wipes to separate into single sheets as theypass through the nozzle, and to prevent them from slipping back intotheir container.

FIG. 6 shows the nozzle applied to a hermetically sealed pack of wipes3. The housing 4 would typically be made from a flexible waterproofcellophane type material, hermetically sealed at both ends 8 & 9. Theupper surface of the housing features a mouth 14 surrounded by the frame15 of a fixed rigid flip top (RFT) assembly 16 which is typically madefrom a rigid plastic material like polypropylene. The RFT 16 has aclosable lid 17 to help keep the wipes moist when the pack is not inuse. The mouth 14 is covered by flexible nozzle 20 through which wipespass and exit the housing 4. The flexible nozzle 20 features a domeshaped base 20A which tapers inward 20B and curves outward 20C into toan annular projection 22 with an aperture 21 through which the wipesexit from the housing 4. The pressures exerted by the nozzle disturbsthe bonds enough between the top wipe and its adjacent wipe to causethem to separate leaving sufficient tail of the emergent adjacent wipe10 for the next user to grasp.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention may take a form different to that specifically describedabove. For example nozzles may be formed integrally with a container orretro-fitted to existing containers.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and it willbe understood that features from one or more of the aforementionedembodiments may be incorporated into a different containers and/ornozzles,

Various embodiments of the invention have been described, by way ofexample only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made tothe examples described without departing from the scope of theinvention.

1. A container for wipes, the container comprising: a free standing,self contained, portable, fully sealed housing that in use receives thewipes, the wipes being formed in a continuous length each wipe beingjoined to the following wipe by a separable bond, and a dispensingnozzle extending from and fixedly mounted on a first end of the housing,which is opposite a second end of the housing, the second end enablingthe housing to stand on a horizontal surface while product is extractedfrom the first end, the nozzle having a relatively wide dome-shapedbase, which tapers radially inwardly, and then curves upward into anannular projection, which terminates at a tip to provide an aperture forthe wipes' exit, the annular projection having a resiliently deformablewall, the annular projection being in a contracted state when no wipe ispresent in the nozzle while being resiliently expandable to an expandedstate to allow withdrawal of wipes therethrough while gripping the wipessuch that the inner surface of the annular wall exerts a retarding forceon the part of the length of wipes in the annular projection along thelength of the annular projection which acts against their withdrawalsuch that, in use, as a length of wipes is withdrawn through, thisretarding force acts to break the separable bonds between each wipe andthe following wipe, the nozzle contracting around the tail of the nextadjacent wipe which impedes release of moisture from inside the housingand wicking of moisture from the wipe tail, and impedes fall back of thewipe back into the housing.
 2. The container of wipes defined in claim 1wherein the annular projection is of substantially constant internaldiameter.
 3. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein theannular projection features ribs, pips, dots, teeth, raised regions,surface roughening or other gripping means on the inner surface whichengages with the line of weakness that join the wipes as a wipe iswithdrawn to separate a wipe from an adjacent wipe.
 4. The container ofwipes defined in claim 1 wherein the nozzle is shaped such that anyforce pulling a wipe back through the aperture into the housing biasesthe nozzle aperture into the contracted state.
 5. The container of wipesdefined in claim 1 wherein the annular projection is formed from aflexible elastomer such that it flexes away from the housing in adirection as a wipe is being withdrawn.
 6. The container of wipesdefined in claim 1 wherein the nozzle is formed from a flexibleelastomer such that it flexes away from the housing in a direction as awipe is being withdrawn.
 7. The container of wipes defined in claim 1wherein the tapered section of the nozzle is smooth and does not impedewipes being drawn through the nozzle.
 8. The container of wipes definedin claim 7 wherein the junction between the tapered section and theannular section curves smoothly and does not impede wipes being drawnthrough the nozzle.
 9. The container of wipes defined in claim 3 whereinthe annular projection includes ribs, pips or other gripping formationsfixed on the inner surface of the nozzle in a circularly symmetric arrayand engaging into the perforations in the sheet of material as a wipe iswithdrawn to separate a wipe from an adjacent wipe.
 10. The containerfor wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the ribs or pips are arrayed atdifferent radial intervals around the inner surface of the nozzle. 11.The container for wipes defined in claim 3 wherein the ribs, pips orgripping formations are a continuous spiral or at intervals so as tooptimize grip.
 12. The container of wipes defined in claim 3 wherein theribs, pips or gripping formations are formed from the same material asthe nozzle.
 13. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein thelength of the inner surface of the annular projection is between 3 mmand 20 mm.
 14. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein theangle of taper does not exceed 70° at any point.
 15. The container forwipes defined in claim 1, wherein the nozzle projects beyond an outersurface of the container.
 16. The container of wipes defined in claim 1wherein the housing is hermetically sealed and made from a flexiblematerial.
 17. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein thehousing made from a plastic material like polypropylene and has aremovable lid.
 18. The container of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein thecontinuous length of wipe material features separable line of weaknessbetween the wipes in the form of lines of perforations.
 19. Thecontainer of wipes defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous length ofmaterial features separable lines of weakness between the wipes formedfrom an adhesive connection between the back section of one wipe and thefront section of its adjacent wipe.
 20. The container of wipes definedin claim 1 wherein the continuous length of material features separablelines of weakness between the wipes that are a combination of both linesof perforations between some of the wipes and adhesive connectionbetween the back section of one wipe and the front section of itsadjacent wipe for other wipes, both types being within the samecontinuous length of material.